‘“[Sabres GM Darcy Regier] really wanted to get me down here as soon as possible. He said even if I don’t get to play, just to practice and see what it’s going to take over the summer to prepare and compete in this league would be good for me. “I already knew that it was going to be a great opportunity but he just confirmed it and reassured me of that.”’

‘The Sabres have signed T. J. Brennan and Drew Schiestel to three-year, entry-level contracts that begin next season. Brennan has begun skating with the Portland Pirates, and Schiestel was expected to join the Sabres’ minor league affiliate Saturday.’

‘While this team needs a makeover, a total makeover isn’t necessary. They need three or four honest hockey players who might serve as a jury of their peers, making them accountable in the dressing room for half-hearted play that kills playoff hopes. They don’t have to be superstars. Clones of the sorely missed Mike Grier would do nicely.’

‘On the scouting staff, which was replaced by video in a cost-cutting measure: “You can scout on television and video and still watch players? Come on. That is absolutely the joke of the league. When all the scouts were here–Larry Carriere, Don Luce, Terry Martin, Jim Benning, all those guys–they’re the ones who built this franchise that took them to the Presidents’ [Trophy]. They were the ones who went to Darcy and said, ‘This is who you should draft.’ They’re all gone.”’

‘”If you look at the organizations that have been successful, you don’t see owners getting involved in hockey decisions. You hire people to do a job you’re not capable of doing. Until proven wrong, you let them do their jobs. If they can’t, you get rid of them.”‘

‘“We wanted to have a chance to digest the season and gauge their desire and their–how would I say it?–willingness to approach this freshly and with some innovation,” Quinn said. “And we’ve taken our process forward enough to know that these are the two guys we want to lead our hockey department next year.”’

‘"I think our fan base in Buffalo knows what he has done for the organization this year," Dineen said. "Frankly, I wasn’t surprised at all that he was called up for three games and was there for the rest of the season. He has a maturity about him that has NHL written all over him, so it’s great and a real benefit to have him back in the lineup for the playoffs."’